Andy Carlson – Biography Professional Outfitter and Guide Service

Andy Carlson at work at his fly tying bench

Andy Carlson, owner of Bitterroot Anglers and guardian of the Bitterroot River’s wild trout populations.[/caption]Andy Carlson, owner of Bitterroot Anglers, has been an international fly fishing outfitter and educator/teacher for over 42 years; including 11 years orchestrating and outfitting the fly fishing programs at the the Stock Farm, Hamilton , Montana, a Charles Schwab venture .

He is the inventor of many fly patterns including his most famous the “Purple Haze”. Andy has been a trout activist since his college years at Colorado University, Boulder (1972-76). He has also earned the award of Montana Trout Unlimited, Fly Fisherman of the year. Andy and a small group of activists helped create minimum flow waters in the Bitterroot River via the acquisition of stored waters at Painted Rocks Reservoir up the West Fork of the Bitterroot River River , instrumental in managing the River’s wild trout populations.

Andy Carlson – on your favorite river.

Andy has been involved in trout/water politics since 1972. At that time, he lead a successful political and biological science campaign with the help of Colorado Environmental Water Quality Division. He assisted in saving a small mountain stream (Coon Trail Creek) in front of his cabin in the mountain high country, west of Boulder, Colorado.

In 1979, Andy helped spear-head Western Montana’s move to a “wild trout” fishery. He sat on he board of directors of the Montana Trout Foundation with fly-fishing luminaries Dan Bailey and Bud Lilly. Andy also published the MTF newsletter and Trout Unlimited’s “Troutline”, the state newspaper for TU.

Andy Carlson with a West Slope Cutthroat trout.

The Montana Trout Foundation funded many trout/water conservation projects throughout the state of Montana in the early 1980’s throughout the mid-1990’s. His passionate concern for the river environment of the Bitterroot helped to revivify the stream of this day.

Andy has taught fly-fishing schools and guide schools for the past 27 years in Montana and more recently , California. He helped in writing, lobbying and passing the Montana Stream Access Law for all fishermen and women.

The professionalism exhibited by Bitterroot Anglers and its owner, Andy Carlson is unmatched in Western Montana. Please come to join us in a guided float trip and/or enjoy casting one of Andy’s fly patterns over hungry rising trout on your favorite river.